Are you feeling stuck in a rut of boring, uninspired practice?
Maybe you’ve been working on the same two pieces for months without any noticeable progress.
Or you take piano lessons, but when it comes time to sit down and practice, you feel completely lost.
If so, you’re not alone!
Many teachers assume their piano students know how to practice, but I’ve found this isn’t the case.
Despite studying piano from the age of 7 and eventually studying at the college level, practice was always somewhat elusive to me.
It wasn’t until after college that I started getting serious about becoming more efficient in the practice room.
And it was more recently that I discovered the magic of using a music practice journal.
Come along with me as we explore the many benefits of using a piano journal for your daily practice.
And as a special bonus, you can get access to my unique weekly planner.
Ready? Let’s get to it!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an affiliate of the Amazon associate program, Modacity, Dr. Josh Wright ProPractice, Piano University course by Zach Evans, Musicnotes, Playground Sessions, and Piano Marvel, I may receive a commission at no extra cost if you purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information and privacy policy.
I take no credit for the images appearing on this page. Specific photos are courtesy of Canva. Although I am a nurse practitioner, I am not YOUR medical provider. The information in this post is for informational purposes only. It does NOT replace individualized health information from a qualified medical professional. Please see a qualified medical professional for individualized assistance with your health and wellness.
My Musical Journey
I started piano lessons in 1st grade.
As a 1st grader, I didn’t have the faintest notion of efficient practice.
And so I fell into a habit of playing whatever I wanted, however I wanted to play it.
I continued this practice trajectory throughout high school and college.
There was no order or organization to my practice time.
Only after college did I have the time and mental space to explore the finer points of effective practice and the use of a journal to plan and track my progress.
Although my full-time career took a different trajectory, I remain passionate about helping others learn to play the piano.
I also play piano and organ at several churches in the area and am studying piano technology.
Personal development is also high on my list of interests, and I absolutely love it when the two worlds collide!
Why should you keep a piano practice journal?
Now that you know more about my musical background, let’s explore how journaling can help you on your piano journey.
Organization
One of the best reasons to keep a piano practice journal is that it keeps your practice organized.
Instead of spending all your time on that one piece you can’t get enough of, a journal reminds you that to be a well-rounded pianist, you must improve many skills.
A journal can also serve as the one place to keep all your thoughts related to the piano.
What I mean by this is when you learn something from a YouTube video, write down lesson notes, or hear a piece that you want to learn, a journal is a great place to record those thoughts.
Anything relating to the topic of playing piano or your musical goals can be kept in the journal.
Practice Efficiency with a Piano Practice Journal
Another great reason to keep a piano practice journal is that it can help you stay on task during your practice session.
Planning your sessions out in advance is a great way to become more efficient.
You can write down everything you want to work on during the session and even estimate how much time you’d like to spend on each task.
The journal can also serve as a daily practice record, and you can start tracking trends.
For example, you might find that you spend way too much time on one specific measure and too little time on a general phrasing idea for a piece.
When learning a musical instrument, details are important, but it’s also important not to lose sight of overarching goals, which a practice log can help achieve.
You may even get to the point where you can estimate how long it will take to learn a specific piece of music.
By reflecting on each practice session, you’ll gain valuable insight into how your brain works and the best tools for learning new music.
Creativity
Although you might not relate words like “organization” and “practice efficiency” to creativity, all are connected.
If you have one place to organize all your thoughts about playing the piano, you will have much more mental space for creativity.
A piano practice journal is also the perfect place to record your ideas for playing more artistically, such as adding a bit more pedal here or a fortissimo there.
Accountability Improves with a Piano Practice Journal
And finally, we come to accountability.
A practice journal can help you stay accountable for achieving your big goals by providing one place to track your progress.
By analyzing your practice, you’ll be able to see trends and identify ways to improve.
And one of the most motivating ways to stay engaged in practice is by tracking your practice streak, or how many days in a row you sit down to practice.
Nothing creates excitement around your next practice session like the thought of beating your personal record!
Although there are more great reasons to maintain a piano practice journal, take a minute to think about which is most compelling.
Why do you want to start a piano practice journal, and what are you hoping to accomplish in the next week, month, year, and 10 years?
You might just find that journaling is a practice that can elevate your life in broader ways.
What to Include in Your Piano Practice Journal
This is your journal; you can include anything in it.
Here are my thoughts about things you can consider including.
Practice Plan
If you’re studying with a piano teacher, loop them into your new piano practice journal habit.
Your teacher may have ideas about what to include in your journal and specific ways to practice.
You can also bring your journal to your lesson and write down your teacher’s advice on improving.
Consider including the following:
- Ideas for warm-ups
- How much time you’d like to spend on sightreading, ear training, or music theory
- Which technical exercises you’d like to play
- Your repertoire pieces
- Something fun that you can’t wait to play!
Consider taking some time to think about your goals for this specific practice session.
Is there anything you’d like to improve upon today?
What are specific goals that you’d like to accomplish this week? How about in 1 month?
What would you like to achieve within the next 1, 5, and 10 years?
The piano practice journal is where it all starts!
Practice Reflections
One of the most powerful ways to learn is taking time to reflect on your learning.
This might mean thinking about very specific technical exercises, or it could mean thinking about your learning in a broader way.
Here are a list of ideas to get you started on the art of reflection:
- What did I really enjoy playing today?
- Did frustration pop up today, and if so, what caused it?
- What is my overall motivation for learning to play piano?
- How can I approach frustration with curiosity?
- What is one thing I would like to improve upon for next time?
- Were there easy and hard parts of practice today?
- What was one new thing I learned today?
- Were there parts of practice that drained my energy, and what caused this?
- What do I need to improve?
- Are there resources I can use to approach areas where I desire improvement?
- What inspires me?
- Did I stay focused during the session, and if not, how can I improve my focus moving forward?
As a special thank you, you can get a copy of my seven-day piano practice journal, which includes a different reflection for each day.
It’s a great way to kick off your new piano practice journal habit!
Miscellaneous Information
A piano practice journal is the best place to record any and all random thoughts related to playing the piano.
If you learned a great new tip for playing faster and with more clarity, write it down in your journal.
Did you hear a new piece that you’d love to learn? Write it down in the journal.
Stumble across a teacher on YouTube who has the best way of explaining things? Record it in your journal.
Your piano practice journal can become a catch-all for anything and everything related to the piano.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to use a physical notebook or a digital journal?
The short answer is whichever you will use on a daily basis.
Pen and paper are great because they don’t carry the same temptations that your phone has to check email, Facebook, or 50 other things during your practice sessions.
But if digital is easier, go for it!
The goal is consistency; whether that’s paper or digital is completely up to you.
What is the easiest way to start a journaling habit?
Keep it simple. The easier, the better.
Start with recording your thoughts on a piece of paper and gradually build from there.
You can also find all kinds of journals, both print and digital.
Find something that resonates with you and is simple to incorporate into your daily life.
Grab my 7-day piano practice journal above and take your piano playing to the next level!
Can a piano practice journal be helpful for beginners, or is it just for advanced players?
A piano practice journal is helpful for all stages of piano learning.
In fact, starting a journaling habit early in your playing career will give you the best chance at accelerating your learning because it encourages you to explore your practice habits on a deeper level.
By keeping journals, you’ll be able to see all your progress, which is highly beneficial because everyone goes through stages when they feel their learning has stalled.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve never considered keeping a piano practice journal, I hope this post has inspired you to start one.
Keep it simple and be consistent.
And make sure to grab my 7-day piano practice journal to help you kickstart this positive habit.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have questions.
Until next time, happy practicing!
